William s



(No Mode l.)

' W. S. REED.

, GAME BOARD. No. 469,948. Patented Mar. 1, 1892.

NITED STATES PATENT Fries.

WILLIAM S. REED, OF LEOMINSTER, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO THE W. S. REED TOY COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

GAM E-BOARD.

SPECIFICATION forming partof Letters Patent No. 469,948, dated March 1, 1892.

Application filed November 25, 1891. Serial No. 413,076. (No model.)

. a combined game and toy which shall be at once amusing, interesting, and instructive, particularly to children.

My invention consists of a combined game and toy comprising in its construction a pluralityof figures pivoted upon an uprightframe, each figure being provided with a cup or receptacle so arranged or placed as that when a ball, marble, or similar article is placed in the cup of one figure it will overbalance the upper end of the said figure and cause it to tip over so as to drop the ball or marble into the cup of the figure next below, operating 'the latter figure in a similar manner.

My invention also consists of the foregoing in connection with a board provided with pockets for the reception of the balls or marbles delivered. from the figures, a pivoted chute for guiding the course of the balls, and pins or obstructions for diverting the course of the balls or marbles as they roll over the board.

My invention also consists of otherim provements incidental to the foregoing, 'as will more fully appear hereinafter.

Reference is to be had to the annexed drawings, and to the letters marked thereon, forming a part of this specification, the same letters designating the same parts or features, as the case may be, wherever they occur.

Of the said drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of my combined game and toy. Fig. 2 is a cross-section of the game-board and a front elevation 'of the figure-supporting frame, illustrating the manner in which the said figures may be over-balanced so as to deliver a marble from the cup of one figure to the cup of the figure next below.

In the drawings, a designates a'board provided with side and end pieces I).

c are pockets formed in the upper surface of one end of the board, and d are pins placed at any desired point between the pockets and at the sides of the same, so as to form obstructions to marbles or balls rolling upon the spaces between the pockets or at the sides of the same, in order to divert the course of the said marbles or balls.

e is'a chute pivoted at its rear end, as at f, and provided upon its upper face with an inclined trough or guideway g.

h designates a cup arranged on the top of the rear end of the chute and provided with a mouth or outlet 1' to guide a marble or ba l placed in the cup out upon the trough or guideway g of the chute.

j designates a frame hinged upon the rear end of the board a. so asthat it may be folded I down upon the board or raised into an upright position, as shown, in which latter position it may be secured by means of a latch 7c, consisting of a length of wire connected at one end to the sides of the board and at the other to the frame, as shown.

I Z designates a plurality of figures pivoted upon the upright framej,'as at m, so as that the gravity of the said figures may retain them in the desired position.

a designates a cup or other receptacle connected with each figure at the upper end thereof, as shown, the construction and arrangement of parts being such that when a marble or ball 0 or other weighted object is dropped intov the upper cup, as indicated by the figure p painted upon the upright frame, it will overbalance the said figure and cause it to deposit the object contained in the cup into the cup of the figure next below, as is indicated by the dotted lines in Fig. 2, the said marble or other object being finally delivered by the lowermost figure into the cup 72. on the chute e, from which it may rolldown onto the board toward the pockets at the forward end. Afterthe marble has been discharged from the cups of the figures the gravity of each figure will, as before stated, carry it back to its former position, a stop-pin q being provided to stop the figure in the proper position, so as that it may surely receive the object delivered from the cup above to operate it, as before stated.

Any desired number of figures may be arranged upon the frame j.

Pockets maybe formed and receptacles may be provided at the end of the board or at the sides of the pockets 0 for the reception of marbles which may happen not to stop in the said pockets 0.

The object of pivoting the chute as described is to enable it to be set so as to guide the marbles as they roll down from the cup 72. of the switch in ditferent directions over the board, so as that they may be stopped in particular pockets which may count for gain, or be diverted to the receptacles at the end or sides of the board, which may stand as forfeits or discounts.

In the use of the invention each one playing may in turn drop a marble into the cup of the upper receptacle, having previously arranged the chute in the desired position, so that as the marble is passed from one figure to the other and finally deposited in the receptacle h it may roll off from the chute and lodge in one of the pockets 0r atother points on the board and be recorded as the players loss or gain.

It is to be noted further that the invention provides means for playing an interesting and amusing game even without the pivoted figures Z, since a marble or other object maybe dropped into receptacle h with a previous arrangement of the chute allowing said marble to roll down upon the board, being guided in its course by the position of the switch.

By pivoting the framej upon the board a, as described, means are atforded whereby the upright framej may be folded down upon the board, so as to render the device compact for transportation or storage, and, further, means are provided whereby the upright frame may be secured in the proper position with respect to the receptacle h.

It is obvious that changes may be made in the form and arrangement of parts comprising my invention without departing from the nature and spirit thereof.

Having thus described the nature of my invention and explained a way of constructing and using the same, I declare that what I claim is 1. A combined toy and game comprising in its construction an upright frame and a plurality of figures pivoted thereon, each provided with a cup or receptacle, the construction and arrangement of parts being such object to be delivered into the cup of the fig-.

ure next below, as set forth.

2. A combined toy and game comprising in its construction an upright frame and a plurality of figures pivoted thereon, each provided with a cup or receptacle, and the stoppins q for maintaining the figures normally in position with the mouth of the cup upward, the construction and arrangement of parts being such that an object placed in the cup of one figure may overbalance the same and cause the said object to be delivered into the cup of the figure next below, as set forth.

A combined game and toy comprising in its construction a board provided with pockets, a frame hinged at one ,end to said board and adapted to be raised and locked inyertical position, and a plurality of figures pivoted on said frame and each provided with .acupor receptacle, the construction andarrangement of parts being such thatan object placed in the cup of ,one figure may overbalance ,the same and cause said object to be delivered into the cup of the figure neat below and the receptacleon the board, as set forth.

gt. A combined game and toypoomprising in its construction an upright frame,a plurality of figures pivoted thereon,.each provided with a cup or receptacle, the construction and arrangement of parts being such that a ball or marble placed in the cup of one figure may overbalance the same andcause-the said ball to be delivered into the cup of the figurenext below, a board provided with pockets for the reception of the balls, and "a pivoted chute for receiving the balls from the pivoted figures and guiding them in their course over the board, as set forth. In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification, in the presenceof two subscribing witnesses, this 21st day of November, A. D. 1891.

VVILLIAH S. REED. Witnesses:

ARTHUR W. CROSSLEY, A. D. HARRISON. 

